Congressman John Shimkus (IL-15) announced recently he's retiring and won't be running for re-election in 2020. There have been lots of speculation as to who would step forward in Illinois' very conservative downstate 15th CD – and thus far, it's been relatively quiet.
Until Wednesday.
Wednesday, the following press release appeared in our inbox, and it appears a woman that supports Trump, is adamantly opposed to socialism and advocates for "faith, family and freedom" is throwing her hat in the thus far (to our knowledge and based on official announcements) empty 15th CD ring. Her name is Mary Miller from Oakland, Illinois.
The press release:
Oakland, IL – Mary Miller, a conservative Republican, has announced her run for Congress in the state's 15th Congressional District. Involved in agriculture, small business, education, church and family, Mary is running to stand up for the future of the American Dream.
"I want to advocate for faith, family, and freedom. I will do what is best to uphold the Constitution of the United States and fight against the far-left socialist agenda which is detrimental to the future of our country and is full of nothing but false promises," said Miller.
Mary’s top priorities will be making the President's tax cuts permanent, promoting Illinois agriculture, coal and oil production, pro-growth business policies and protecting our southern border.
"I stand with President Trump on immigration," Miller said. "Everyone agrees that legal immigration has been, and will continue to be, an important part of what makes us a great country. But we cannot continue to allow people to sneak in illegally. We need to secure our border, build the wall, and reform our immigration system."Miller is passionately pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, a supporter of term limits, deregulation, and is for free and fair trade. Coming from the perspective of a middle class American, farmer, small business owner, and a mother, Mary understands the challenges people in the 15th District face every day.
“It will be a privilege to represent the hardworking taxpayers, businesses, and families of this district! I especially want to do what is best for the future of our children.”
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Mary Miller graduated from Naperville Central High School and has a BS in Business Management and a BA in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University. Mary, and her husband Chris, have been married for 39 years and together they run a grain and cattle farm. They have seven children and sixteen grandchildren.
The 15th Congressional District includes all of 29 counties and parts of four counties. The District is almost 52 percent rural. To learn more about Mary Miller, click here to visit her website.